


Just Friends

by Uchiha_Blood



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 06:23:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4993660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uchiha_Blood/pseuds/Uchiha_Blood





	Just Friends

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Naruto asked, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the pair. 

Birds twittered, whistled, and chirped, but Sasuke said nothing. He simply ate in silence, gazing absentmindedly into the leafy underbrush. He and Naruto had decided that the best way to spend a beautiful summer day like today would be a picnic in a beautiful clearing. In that clearing were the ruins of an old, stone house. No one knew whose house it was, but there was something intriguing about it that made the clearing a popular destination for adventurers seeking thrills and couples seeking the perfect place to disappear away from the bustling city of Konoha. Or, in this case, the Lord Hokage and his best friend and advisor, Sasuke Uchiha.

"You okay, dude?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Were you saying something?"

"Nothing important. Just trying to make conversation, ya know," Naruto explained, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Mm, wow, these are delicious! You made these?"

"Yes. My mother used to make them sometimes. Used to be my favorite when I was a kid."

"Oh. Well, she must have been a great cook."

"She certainly was," Sasuke agreed, popping a grape into his mouth. The silence that followed made Naruto wonder if he shouldn't have brought it up. He knew the memories were painful, and he hated to see his friend so sad.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," he began, but Sasuke cut him off.

"No, it's alright," he said. "I don't mind the happy memories. They remind me that I'm still human."

"Oh, okay. You want more happy memories? Or funny ones, at least?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"Okay! D'you remember that time when we got stuck together and did a bunch of crazy stuff trying to separate?"

Sasuke nodded, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He remembered how embarrassing it had been at the time, but now, several years later, he had to admit that it was pretty amusing.

"And that one time when Kakashi-sensei tied me to a tree so you had to feed me? And the other time when I was losing against Kiba and defeated him with a fart? And that time when I pretended to be you and tried to kiss Sakura? And when I used Sexy no Jutsu on Lord Third and it worked? And..."

There it was. That little smile that Sasuke tried to fight, tried to hide, but he couldn't help it. That was the smile that Naruto loved, because it meant that Sasuke was so genuinely happy he just couldn't help it. Naruto smiled back, hoping to reassure him. 

That smile didn't last long, however. It became an expression of uneasiness, as if he were nervous about something. He cleared his throat, suddenly unable to meet Naruto's eyes for more than a split second. Shifting slightly, he inhaled slowly, exhaled rather shakily, and wet his lips with a hesitant flick of his tongue.

"Can I... Can I ask you for something?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure, sure. What is it?" Naruto asked, a bit concerned. He was eager to help his friend, but if Sasuke was afraid of something, then it had to be something big. Sasuke was worth it, though. 

"I... I want... Can I... Oh, forget it," he stammered, clenching his fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. His inability to communicate such a simple, yet undeniably complex desire frustrated him, deterring him from further pursuing his goal. "I-it's nothing, anyway."

"Dude. I'm your friend. You know you can ask me for anything, and I'll do it or die trying. I don't care what it is."

"My friend," he reminded himself. "Just my friend."

"Just your--? Oh. Is that what this is about?"

Sasuke hesitated, reluctant to admit the feelings that gnawed at his very soul each and every day. He knew what betrayal -- true, merciless betrayal -- felt like, and he did not like to trust anyone because he knew that such a betrayal was possible again. He also knew, however, that Naruto wasn't like his brother. Naruto was loyal, kind, and one of the few people who still trusted him. He'd been forced to adapt to being alone, being the only person he could rely on, but perhaps it would be possible to adapt once more. To adapt to trusting, believing in other human beings once again. He had to tell him. It was the best thing he could do for himself. But he couldn't find the words to do it. They just wouldn't come to him. 

He nodded feebly, feeling rather pathetic in doing so.

Naruto's eyes widened, then softened, and he smiled. "I see. So, what exactly were you asking for? Did you want me to kiss you, or--?"

Sasuke nodded again, more quickly this time.

Naruto grinned. Making Sasuke flustered was easier than he thought. And fun, too. "Right now? This very moment?"

This time, Sasuke just glared at him.

"I'll take that as a yes," Naruto said with a laugh, and before Sasuke had a chance to agree or disagree, warm, wet lips were pressed to his for just a few seconds.

Those few seconds, though, were all he needed. Sasuke shuddered, letting the sensation linger on his mouth as long as he could. There was a strange, tingly feeling in his chest, and he knew, much to his embarrassment, that his face was bright red. Besides embarrassment, there was also a sense of relief and a faint, flickering emotion that he hadn't felt in so long that he could hardly comprehend it at all. He knew what it was, though: joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.

"So, was that enough? Or do you want another?" Naruto asked, a little embarrassed himself now that he realized what he had done. This kiss couldn't be blamed on an accident.

"What do you think?" Sasuke whispered, forcing his façade of confidence back into play.

"I think you want another."

"Naturally."


End file.
